 |
| We'll be giving away these mini hand sanitizer spray bottles this weekend at French Lick Resort, thanks to the Spirits of French Lick Distillery, and you can drop by the Distillery to pick up their more traditional products like Hoosier Apple Brandy and Lee W. Sinclair 4 Grain Bourbon. |
So who relied on a few good bottles of wine or spirits while we hunkered down at home during those initial quarantine months?
*All hands raise.*
The folks over at French Lick Winery and Spirits of French
Lick Distillery not only provided some liquid sanity through all this, they
took it a step further and proved how truly essential a distillery can be
during a public health crisis. How does that old saying go? When life gives you
grain alcohol and a pandemic, make hand sanitizer?
“That’s what you do. In times of need, you help your
neighbors and help your family,” says Jolee Kasprzak, the Winery &
Distillery’s marketing director. “We’re happy we were able to do that.”
Usually, it’s the award-winning cherry wine or Hoosier apple
brandy, or the Traminette (Indiana state grape) wine that everyone wants to get
their hands on. But when the Purel started vanishing from store shelves back in
March and hand sanitizer suddenly became like liquid gold, the Winery &
Distillery made a sharp pivot. For the next eight weeks while, they produced
nothing but hand sanitizer while their wine tasting room and Italian Café were closed
to guests.
In less than 48 hours, they rolled out their first batch of sanitizer,
which is a little different than most as it comes in a spray bottle instead of
a gel form. Per the recipe from the World Health Organization, it starts with
80 percent ethanol — the same base that many of their spirits like gin, absinthe
and aquavit begin with — and made from 100% Indiana corn grown locally here in Orange
and Dubois County. The Distillery staff rounded up the other necessary
ingredients like glycerin and hydrogen peroxide at the local CVS.
The first batch went to the local police and emergency management. Then to three local hospitals. The post office. Nursing homes. Gas stations. The Winery & Distillery kept cranking out the sanitizer and in return only asked for a small donation to cover their production costs.
Before long, they were fielding dozens of calls per day, many
coming from out of state. Chicago Railroad called asking for some of their hand
sanitizer. Then came the call from Amazon.
“We were like, ‘What?!” Kasprzak says with a laugh. “They
called us and asked us if we wanted to distribute on Amazon, but we just weren’t
making it in that large of a quantity to be able to do that.”
That’s why they’re not selling it at the Winery & Distillery
now that they’ve reopened. But you might be able to score some if you're visiting French Lick Resort for the Fourth of July weekend.
Francie Hurst, an RN and Healthcare Liaison here at the
resort, reached out to the Distillery about obtaining sanitizer to give out to
guests as a welcome gift. It was one of the last batches of sanitizer
that the Distillery produced, and a limited number of mini sanitizer bottles
will be given away to guests this weekend. Starting Friday and while supplies last, they'll be given to guests checking in at French Lick and West Baden Springs Hotels, as well as at French Lick Casino and the golf courses.
“It’s kind of a ‘thank you’ to our guests, to say that French
Lick Resort cares about your health and wellness and safety,” Hurst says.
And the best part? It’s got a smooth feel and scent, unlike other distillery-produced sanitizers that have that distinct whiff of tequila or vodka.
“When you rub it on your hands, it gives you a
good handfeel. It has a nice fragrance to it, and it leaves your hands feeling
really good,” Francie says.
“We just wanted to make sure we used our limited supply of
hand sanitizer and give it directly to the people who needed it most,” Kasprzak
says. “It only seemed to make sense we’d want to partner up with our neighbors
and for the good of the Valley.”